Plant for washing coal and other minerals by means of liquid streams



A. FRANCE PLANT FOR WASHING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS BY MEANS OI LIQUID STREAIS Filed Aug. 2'7, 1926 20 this last fact Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTOINE FRANCE, OF LIEGE, BELGIUM PLANT FOR WASHING COAL D OTHER MINERALS BY MEANS OF LIQUID STREAMS Application filed Augusta), 1926. Serial No.

The present invention relates to an improvement in plant for washing coal and, other minerals of the type wherein the classification according to specific gravity is ell'ected in a liquid conveying stream in a launder provided with suitable means, such as for instance upward stream separators, for sorting the products into categories of different specific gravities.

In order to increase the capacity of the launder in which the classification according to specificgravity takes place in the liqui stream (water stream) which conveys the material under treatment, by means of a suitable arrangement of the launder, it is not possible to increase unlimitedly the width of the latter, as there is a tendency towards an exaggerated increase of the velocity of the conveying stream in the axial zone. Now, may conduce to an irregular repartition of the products over the widthof the launder and as a relative regularity'is generally indispensable to obtain a perfect adjustment of the means for sorting the prod- 2 nets and eliminating those of highest specific gravity, which means are generally constituted by apparatus working with upward streams, but which may be'ofany other type i or arrangement, the present lnvention come prises means for dividing the Width of the launder into two or more portions by suitable longitudinal partitioning. 1

In order that it may be readily understood, the invention is illustrated, in its preferred embodiments and by way of example only,

by the accompanying drawing, wherein Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a transverse section and a longitudinal sectional ele vat-ion and a plan View of a launder which 49 is according to the invention divided by a single median partition, and,

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a longitudinal sectional elevation and a transverse section of alaunder divided by multiple partitions.

Referring to the said drawing, along the whole or a portion of the Washing-launder c, the width of the latter is as may be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3 divided by a vertical parti- 59 tion 1; of which the height above the bottom Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fi erably made for ena ling the height of the 131,919, and in Belgium November 20, 1925.

f of the launder may be adjusted by suitable means, the partition plate '0 being for this purpose slidably disposed between the two plates of a pair of guide-plates 19 secured to the bottom 7' of the launder 0 and situated in a plane parallel to that of the sides of the launder, and the said partition plate 12 has se ries of holes t formed therein at intervals and through any of which may be passed pins h adapted to rest transversely on the upper or 60 free edges of the guide-plates p, as seen in 3.. Provision is prefpartit-ion 'v to be varied independently for each section of the length of the launder, in 55 relation to the preceding and following section; i. e. the partition '0 comprises a succes- -sion of separate partition plates following each other in the direction of the length of the launder. Instead of being divided in two portions by a single partition as shown in Figs. 1,

2 and 3, the width of the launder 0 may also" .as illustrated in Figsai and 5 be divided into several portions by means of multiple parallel partition plates 1), the bottom of the launder 0 is provided with slots or openings 7' com-. municating with separating pockets 8 arranged under the launder.

The ob ect of the adjustment of the height 30 of the partition 41 or of the partitions c is to leave the section of the launder in the upper zones of the conveying stream free so as to leave to the said stream, at any point of the launder, its full product-conveying capacity compatible with its maximum classifying capacity. In order to accentuate this result, it may in some cases be desirable for the partitions dividing the width of the launder to have different heights for a same section of the length of the launder, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This may of course bereadily obtained by means ofthe adjusting arrangement previously described.

I claim: 7

1. In a plant for washing coal and other minerals, in combination: a suitable discharge pocket and an inclined launder of extended width delivering to said discharge pocket the dense materials sorted in the launder according to specific gravity through transverse holes cut in the bottom of said launder, a partition parallel to the direction of the stream, the lower edge of which reaches the bottom of the launder and the plane of which' cuts said transverse holes, means for adjusting the distance between the top edge of said partition and the bottom of the launder.

2. In a plant for Washing coal and other minerals, in combination: a suitable di scharge pocket and an inclined launder of extended width delivering to said discharge pocket the dense materials sorted in the launder according to specific gravity, through transverse holes cut in the bottom of said launder, a plurality of partitions parallel to the direction of the stream, the lower edges of which reach the bottom of the launder and the planes of which out said transverse holes,

and means for independently adjusting the distance between the top edge of each of the partitions and the bottom of the launder.

In testimony whereof I sign hereunto my name.

A. FRANCE. 

